31st May  2019

Dear Parents and Carers

Our school disco last Saturday was a wonderful event. It ran like clockwork and was a great credit to our Kinder parents who spent Saturday setting up for the evening. Thank you to Susie Rich and Carla Barbour for leading.

We would like to thank Avenue Road Deli who supported our school with the catering requirements for the Disco. They delivered 400 sausage rolls and 400 meat pies, all handmade with fresh ingredients and delicious pastry.  The photos by Allison Ramadge captured the day perfectly.  

Today was Crazy Sock Day. Thank you to all those who donated a gold coin for wearing crazy socks! The money will go towards funding one of our senior students trip to the Nationals in basketball. 

This morning we held our Blue Awards, sponsored by Claudia Portale of McGrath Mosman. Thank you to all the parents who came to celebrate the awards and stayed for a hot cup of coco or coffee.  Congratulations to the following students who received awards:

Kindergarten:  Grace Paul & Thomas Benton
Year 1: Lucy Grebe & Saoirse O'Roirdan
Year 2: Maya Starzec & Femke Elenbaas
Year 3: Holly Edwards & Elsa Ohrn 
Year 4: Will Musson & Sam Sutton
Year 5: Lachlan McRae & Morgan Donnelly
Year 6: Harrison McCarthy& Toby Roper-Marshall

Thank you to our Year Six leaders who are creating more play activities and play days outdoors for our students. One of the speakers at the Principal's conference last week was Pasi Sahlsberg a Finnish educator who is currently residing in Sydney. He talked about the value of play. He has found that “play is not doing well” in schools and homes. That children are too busy to play. By play he means that time when children or adults and children spend time imaginatively working together to create, build or imagine Pasi has found that in many countries fewer parents are playing outdoors with children, parents believe that children are under pressure to grow up too quickly and our focus has shifted to structured indoor activities. In his study of Finnish schools and Australian schools Pasi found that Finnish children spend less time at school, play more (out in the snow!) and achieve better results that most schools in the world. Play (creative, building, imagining) can increase those skills (executive functioning of the brain) that are lifelong - negotiation, empathy, collaboration and co operation that we need to navigate this world. Play is an excellent antidote to young people’s reliance on digital devices for distraction. Have a playful weekend! We have a quiet week ahead of us next week and hope to find some school time to imagine, create, build and problem solve within our day.  

Our prayers are with our Year Six children who will celebrate their Confirmation with Archbishop Anthony on Sunday at the Cathedral. They will receive this sacrament on the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven. Christ, while leaving us, stays with us (at the right hand of the Father) in order to intercede on our behalf.

We are currently preparing our new strategic plan and value your input. Staff and students have been surveyed during their twilight meeting this week and the parent survey will be open until next Friday the 7th of June.

Our next P and F meeting will be held on the 11th June at 7pm in the school hall. All parents are welcome.

Parent & Teacher Interviews will be held the week commencing 24 March. A detailed email for booking your times with classroom teachers will shortly be distributed from administration.

Regards

Julie Caldwell